Above: David Frank (L) and Timothy Gogl (R) have entered seminary for the Diocese of Spokane after graduating from Catholic high school last spring.
By Fr. Kyle Ratuiste
Two Catholic high school graduates entered seminary formation for the Diocese of Spokane and are enrolled in the Cor Christi program at Bishop White Seminary. Both men are members of the class of 2023. David Frank, a parishioner of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Hillyard, is part of the third graduating class of the Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame, which is located in Hillyard on St. Patrick’s campus. Timothy Gogl, a parishioner of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Walla Walla, is a graduate of DeSales High School in Walla Walla.
David and Timothy are both part of the Cor Christi program at Bishop White Seminary in Spokane. Directed by Spokane priest Fr. Daniel Barnett, Cor Christi specializes in providing holistic, introductory seminary formation for college-aged young men, including those who aspire to pursue a priestly call right out of high school – as is the case for David and Timothy. Cor Christi is unique in being one of only two seminary programs on the West Coast that is open to men without a post-high school degree. Nine of other seminarians – from the Archdiocese of Portland, the Diocese of Boise, and the Diocese of San Bernardino – are also attending Cor Christi with the two Spokane seminarians.
A number of priests have supported David and Timothy in their vocational journeys thus far. Of note are their pastors – Fr. Rick Semple and Fr. Dale Tuckerman, respectively. Though they hail from different parts of the diocese, Timothy and David came to know each other over the course of their senior year through an online discernment group sponsored by the Office of Vocations and led by Fr. David Gaines.
As of Fall 2023, ten men are in seminary formation for the Diocese of Spokane. Their names, levels of formation, and seminaries are listed below in order of seniority:
- Andrew Kelley, Configuration II, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University
- Nathanial Loe, Configuration II, Mount Angel Seminary
- Nicholas Magarelli, Discipleship II, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University
- Joshua Haxton, Discipleship II, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University
- Colby Richards, Discipleship II, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University
- Mitchell Carey, Discipleship I, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University
- Christopher Appel, Discipleship I, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University
- Nicholas Sund, Discipleship I, Bishop White Seminary
- David Frank, Propaedeutic Year, Cor Christi
- Timothy Gogl, Propaedeutic Year, Cor Christi
To learn more about the stages of seminary formation, including the terminology of the different levels and why the diocese uses multiple seminaries, click here.